Snapshot #
The House of Aulus is an elite Roman household in Picentia that served as the political and strategic engine of the industrial revolution. Led by Aulus and his wife Livia, the House provided the ideological framework for Picentian sovereignty, eventually leading the regional break from Rome.
Mandate/Charter #
To protect and expand the regional interests of Picentia through strategic alliance, naval expansion, and the development of a sovereign industrial identity.
Structure & Ranks #
- The Patriarch: Aulus (Political strategist and negotiator)
- The Matron: Livia (Social lead and, following the assassination of Aulus, the architect of the insurrection)
- The Allied Widows: A network of elite noblewomen who consolidated their power under the House of Aulus's leadership during the transition to a war-state.
Territory/Assets #
- The Aulus Estates: Expansive lands near Picentia, historically focused on vineyards but later converted into industrial staging areas.
- The Industrial Docks: The House controlled key logistics hubs for the Steamboat fleet.
History #
The House of Aulus was instrumental during the Emergency Council of 79 AD, where Aulus and Gaius Calidius persuaded the local nobility to stay in Campania rather than flee the ash. While the House of Gaius provided the technical innovation, the House of Aulus provided the political defiance. This defiance peaked in 80 AD when Aulus rising influence and open mockery of Roman tax mandates led to his execution by the Imperial Procurator.
Following his death, the House was transformed into the command center for the Seven Widows and the Picentian insurrection.